Blood Sugar Regulation
Blood sugar regulation is crucial for maintaining overall health and well-being. We often talk about blood sugar only in the case of diabetes, however even if you don’t have diabetes, you may still be dealing with the health consequences of poorly controlled blood sugar. Unregulated blood sugar is correlated with the progression of, atherosclerosis, heart disease, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, dementia, ADHD, PCOS, endometriosis, and obesity. Generally, we want blood glucose to remain relatively stable in the body—not too high and not too low.
A stable blood sugar will have slight fluctuations throughout the day but will stay within a range that our bodies can handle well. When this fluctuation becomes too extreme, we experience blood sugar spikes and crashes that many of us are familiar with, which can lead to a brief boost of energy followed by feelings of hanger and tiredness a couple of hours later.
When you consume too much sugar at once, it can flood your body and harm your blood vessels if it stays in the bloodstream for too long. To protect itself, your body turns that excess sugar into long-term fat storage. Even though you eat food for energy, you only get a quick energy boost; the rest gets stored, making you feel hungry and tired again soon after as your blood sugar levels drop too low. This creates a cycle: you feel exhausted, get hangry, eat sugary foods, experience a brief energy boost, and then crash again.
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Tips to Regulate Blood Sugar
Reduce Simple Carb Intake
Simple carbs are a major culprit for dysregulated blood sugar. These are more processed forms of sugar that are easily broken down to enter the blood stream. It is helpful to avoid or limit these foods too keep blood sugar in optimal ranges.
Simple Carbs:
- Sodas
- Cookies
- Sugar
- High fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Candy
- Chips
- Breads
- Fruit Juice
- Pasta
- Crackers
- White Rice
- Breakfast Cereals
- Cake
- Pastries
Fat, Fiber & Protein
We use these types of foods to slow down the absorption of sugars, allowing for a slow release of energy over several hours. This means you have more energy for longer and are less hungry when you need to eat next. Try incorporating all three into every meal, especially when consuming simple carbs.
Fiber-rich foods:
Avocado, Berries, Artichokes, Peas, Lentils, Beans, Chia Seeds, Pumpkin
Protein-rich foods:
Chicken, Pork, Beef, Lamb, Salmon, Sardines, Beans, Nut butter, Tofu, Eggs, Nuts, and Seeds
Fat-rich foods:
Nuts and Seeds, Avocado, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Dark Chocolate, Salmon, Sardines, Eggs
Order of Meals
As we discussed above, high-sugar foods are not just those that taste sweet, but also those with high amounts of simple carbohydrates. Rice, bread, pasta, and crackers are all considered high-sugar foods because our bodies can easily break them down and absorb them into the bloodstream, just like a cookie or a cupcake.
Changing the order in which you consume these simple carbs is a great way to modulate blood sugar. Instead of eating rice first, then chicken and broccoli, try chicken and broccoli, then rice. This gives the protein and fiber a chance to slow down the sugar absorption from the rice creating a more stable blood sugar.
Stress Reduction
Another way that blood sugar can become dysregulated is through stress. Cortisol, the stress hormone, can also cause a spike in blood sugar. Cortisol plays a role in helping us wake up in the morning, so we want to especially lower cortisol in the evening to encourage more restful sleep.
By incorporating habits that reduce stress, we can regulate our cortisol levels and create a more balanced blood sugar. It can be helpful to have a menu of things to help reduce stress/ balance cortisol handy, so I can choose from them when needed.
My Stress Reducing Menu:
- No Screen Evening (or even one hour before bed)
- Low lights at night
- Watch the sunset
- Going on a walk or hike
- Guided Meditation
- Journaling
- Create Art
- Light Stretching or Yoga
- Sunshine first thing in the morning
- Cold shower or ice bath in the morning
- Forest Bathing
- Gratefulness Practice
- Tell Someone a Joke (Because when they laugh you will too)
Try a daily stress-reducing activity daily: the menu above is a great place to start, but feel free to create a menu of things that relax you.
Eat Your Breakfast
Overnight your blood sugar will natural decrease, we want to prevent it from getting too low by making sure we always have breakfast within an hour of waking. If you are not used to having breakfast or don't typically feel hungry in the morning try to start small, such as, eating an apple or a couple sausage links. Then overtime you can increase to a full meal. This really sets your body up for success.
Also, just a reminder, coffee is not a meal! and it can increase cortisol, so if you do enjoy coffee try to limit it to one cup a day before 2pm and add some collagen protein powder or MCT oil to help modulate the blood sugar effects.
Some Things to Keep in Mind
Blood sugar management can be challenging and often requires personalized supplementation, dietary guidance, and coaching. I would love to support you in your health journey. Feel free to contact me below with any questions or sign up for a free 15 minute consultation to learn more about how we can work together.
*This article is meant for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice.
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